Enemies

The Armory is the second campaign level of Halo 2, and the first of which is playable. It is a short stage mainly to allow the player to get a feel for the game controls. It has no enemies, but it does have Marine Corps allies.

Master Gunnery Sergeant: "Tracking looks sketchy, I'm gonna run you through the full diagnostic. The diagnostic software sets your targeting system to be normal. Go ahead and look at the four lights, Chief. You want me to leave it like that, or make it inverted?"

If the Chief wants it to be Inverted as selected.

Master Gunnery Sergeant: "Okay, now it's inverted. Go ahead and target 'em one more time. Should I leave it inverted, or put it back to normal?"

If the Chief wants it back to Normal as selected.

Master Gunnery Sergeant: "Okay, now it's back to normal. I'll leave your targeting set to normal. If you change your mind, you can switch the setting anytime."

Once diagnostic tests are complete.

Master Gunnery Sergeant: "Stand by. I'm gonna offline the inhibitors. Move around a little, get a feel for it. When you're ready, come and meet me by the zapper."

If the Chief explores the armory, jumping, and hitting stuff about.

Master Gunnery Sergeant: "Hey, take it easy!"

or

Master Gunnery Sergeant: "Careful, you'll pull a tendon doing that!"

or

Master Gunnery Sergeant: "Fine, but don't come cryin' to me when you rip your leg out of it's socket."

The elevator stops, the doors open and the Chief and Johnson get out to board a small tram. It starts to move, with a view of the crew of the Cairo Station going about their business and a backdrop of windows displaying the station and the stars. The planet Earth comes into view. As the tram starts moving, Sergeant Johnson comments on the things passing by the windows.

Sergeant Johnson: "Earth... haven't seen it in years. When I shipped out for basic, the Orbital Defense Grid was all theory and politics. Now look! The Cairo is just one of three hundred geo-sync platforms. That MAC gun can put a round clean through a Covenant capital ship. With coordinated fire from the Athens and the Malta, nothing's getting past this battle cluster in one piece."

Several UNSC ships drift past the station.

Sergeant Johnson: "Ships have been arriving all morning. Nobody's saying much, but I think something big's about to happen."

The tram stops, and they walk out to join a crowd of cheering Marines.

When getting out of the elevator, look to your right. There should be a trash can. Get on top of it and jump. If you keep on jumping, sometimes you will hear dead Jackal noises. While jumping, your armor will get damaged and doing so, you will die from jumping on the trash can. Easier in Legendary.

Before you go on the elevator ride, find a bin. The bin will have three bullet-casings next to it. The bin can be pushed out of its spot, and occasionally, there will be an explosion and your shields will drop. It is unknown why this happens.

If you crouch jump on one of the tables up to the roof, you can see around outside by directing view.

If you look down at the floor before you take a ride in the elevator, John-117's shadow looks as though he's holding a gun, specifically an SMG.

If you have the Black EyeSkull activated, your shields will not recharge during the shield test.

The ships escaping from Earth are already there at the beginning of the level and can be seen by crouch jumping on the table.

You can start the shield test without standing in the red square. Either stand on top of the switch and activate it or stand outside the red square as far away as possible yet can still activate the switch and activate it.

You can also die by pushing a metal tray into the elevator and repeatedly jumping on it.

Right after boarding the tram, turn around and walk into Johnson pushing him out the door before they close. Johnson should have one arm going through the glass door, push him again and he will be out side of the tram moving with it.

None of your allies can be killed on this level. (You can test this by hitting them with the Skull)

If you look away from the Master Gunnery Sergeant during the basic diagnostic, he will ask if you're paying attention, and/or he will stop talking, knowing that you're not listening.

In the armory, there are canisters labeled with food products such as rice and bacon and in the corner there is one that says BBQ ribs.

Johnson's line, "That, or he can hide behind me," is possibly an allusion to the fact that he cannot be killed at any point in the game. However, as he only appears in-game in the first section and near the first airlock in Cairo Station, the first part of Outskirts, and the last section of The Great Journey, it is more likely to be a testament to Johnson's overwhelming sense of self-confidence.

This is one of seven levels in the entire Halo series where you don't face any enemies. The other six The Heretic (Halo 2), Arrival (Halo 3), Prepare To Drop (Halo 3: ODST), Noble Actual (Halo: Reach), Prologue (Halo 4), and Epilogue (Halo 4). The other six levels are cutscenes only, not counting the tutorial segment on the arrival on halo 3 easy/normal difficulty.

While looking at space, you can see ships pass by.

Out of all three games, this is the only one not accompanied by a supporting cutscene at either the start or the end.

Although the Mark VI armor has a HUD zoom for when the user is using a non-scoped weapon, it does not work in this level when John-117 is unarmed. This only happens in The Armory.